Growth-control vote to cost city at least $300K

ENCINITAS  The special June 18th election for a citizens’ group ballot item known as the “Right-to-Vote” initiative is likely to cost Encinitas $300,000 to $350,000, the county elections office has informed the city.

“That’s the cost to actually conduct the election,” City Clerk Kathy Hollywood said Tuesday as she listed off items including ballot printing, polling place workers’ pay, and postage expenses. “It’s basically any and all costs related to the election.”

Still, that cost only reflects the county’s elections expenses. The city also has other bills to pay.

Among them is a $55,000 bill for a consultants’ report on the impacts of the initiative. The council ordered that assessment report in February.

The proposed initiative was submitted for ballot certification late last year by loose-knit coalition of Encinitas residents with concerns about recent development proposals in town. It would require a public vote to change a property’s zoning or increase its allowable housing density.

The initiative also would set a citywide building height limit of 30 feet and expand the city’s public notification requirements for development proposals.

Some the city’s initiative-related expenses are yet unsettled, including whether the council will spend city money on educational mailers about the initiative.

The City Council is hosting a special meeting 6 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall, 505 S. Vulcan Ave., to discuss that potential expense and other initiative issues.

In March, the City Council went on record opposing the initiative. Though the council can take a position, it can’t under state law use taxpayer dollars to advocate for or against an initiative.

Any mailers that the city might pay for would have to be impartial documents, Mayor Teresa Barth said Tuesday.

“There’s clear distinction between education and advocacy, and we cannot advocate a position (on the initiative),” she said.

During Wednesday night’s meeting, council members will likely have questions for the city attorney about what they can legally do, she added.

Initiative proponents say they will be attending the meeting and monitoring the city’s actions in the weeks to come. Bruce Ehlers, publicist for the initiative proponents’ group, said Tuesday that the city is “walking a very thin line.”

“I don’t know how they’re going to walk that line … but I fear they’re going to go over it,” he said.

He and other have said that they believe the city has already started to cross the line. They don’t believe the “impartial” ballot analysis statement put together by the city attorney was very “impartial,” saying it took an extreme view of what might happen if the initiative passes.